


The Right Thing

by tabbytabbytabby



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bodyguard, Bodyguard Derek Hale, Denial of Feelings, Drunken Confessions, First Kiss, Kidnapping, Light Angst, Love Confessions, M/M, Mentioned Kate Argent, Pining, Protective Derek Hale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-17
Updated: 2020-07-17
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:02:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25325092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tabbytabbytabby/pseuds/tabbytabbytabby
Summary: Derek is hired by Jackson’s parents to be his bodyguard. When lines start to blur and Derek finds himself developing feelings for Jackson, he quits and tries to put some distance between them. Only to find himself dragged back in when Jackson gets kidnapped and his father calls Derek for help getting him back.
Relationships: Derek Hale/Jackson Whittemore
Comments: 4
Kudos: 62





	The Right Thing

**Author's Note:**

> For Day 4 of Jackson Rarepair Week: Favorite MOGAI/LGBT+ Ship.  
> Check out the aesthetic to go with the fic [here](https://tabbytabbytabby.tumblr.com/post/623858730205888512/for-twrarepairnetworks-jackson-rarepair-week)

When Derek used to think about his future, he never saw himself here. He’s sure not many kids would ever see themselves working personal security for a living. It’s not exactly his dream job, but it pays the bills.

And it was easy. At least his first few jobs. All he had to do was watch over rich assholes and make sure they didn’t get into trouble. Considering most of his clients up until that point had been older men, the most he had to worry about was them having too much to drink and blowing their cash at a casino. 

Then he got hired to watch Jackson Whittemore. 

He wonders if he had known exactly who he was watching when he got the call if he would have taken the job. It’s hard to say. He knew Jackson from high school, and they weren’t exactly close. Derek had always been aware of him though. It was hard not to be. Jackson just had that sort of presence. He drew people in. Everyone wanted to be him or be with him. Derek never admitted that he always fell on the latter side. At least not out loud. His sisters never would have let him live it down. 

Still, his mom had called him a few months ago and said an old family friend needed someone to keep an eye on his son. She hadn’t said much more than that, and Derek hadn’t wanted to disappoint her, so he’d agreed.

But then he’d walked into the penthouse suite and came face to face with Jackson. If Jackson had been surprised to see Derek, he hadn’t shown it. He’d simply smirked and said it was about time his father hired someone that was at least decent to look at.

Derek had remained carefully blank faced, even as he took Jackson in. He looked good, more comfortable in his own skin. Which was strange to think about Jackson. He was always over-confident in high school, but always in a way where it seemed like he had something to prove. Standing in front of Derek for the first time in almost 10 years, he looked more relaxed and sure of himself in a way he never was back then.

Not that Derek ever noticed that sort of things.

Except the problem is, he does. He notices far too many things about Jackson Whittemore. Things he shouldn’t.

With anyone else Derek has been the picture of professionalism and had clear boundaries. And while he’s tried to set them with Jackson, the other man has a way of skirting the line. Of pushing against those boundaries to see just how much Derek will let him.

It starts off small, like having Derek sit with him rather than standing by the door like he always does. “You’re stressing me out by hovering so much,” Jackson had muttered.

Then it moves to sharing meals together. “You’re eating, I’m eating. Why can’t we do it together?”

Jackson insists Derek join him when he goes out to the movies or out to eat. “I’m safer with you next to me.”

Even with the blurring lines, Derek is able to maintain some distance and decorum. Until one night after a night out, Jackson grabs a bottle of whiskey and falls back on the couch. He pours two glasses and looks over at where Derek is still hovering by the side of the couch.

“Have a drink with me,” Jackson says, holding out a glass of whiskey.

“You know I can’t,” Derek tells him. “I’m working.”

“One drink,” Jackson insists. “It can’t hurt.”

“Jackson…”

“We’re alone,” Jackson says, grabbing Derek’s arm and pulling him down onto the couch next to him. “Nothing can hurt us here.” He puts the drink in Derek’s hand and smiles, looking up at him through his lashes. “Please?”

And god, Derek really can’t deny him when he’s looking at him like that. “Fine. One drink.”

Jackson grins and clinks their glasses together. “That’s my guy.”

“Don’t get used to this,” Derek tells him, taking a sip of his whiskey. “It’s far from appropriate.”

“Don’t pretend you don’t enjoy my company,” Jackson says. “I know you do.”

Derek does, and that’s part of the problem. He’s not about to admit that to Jackson though. “Your company is tolerable.”

Jackson snorts and refills his own glass before pouring more into Derek’s. “I’ll wear you down eventually, Derek Hale.”

“I said only one drink,” Derek reminds him.

Jackson smirks, “Ah, but you are still on your first. Your glass was never empty.”

Derek smiles, in spite of his best efforts not to. Jackson laughs and pokes at his cheek. “Oh there it is. I was starting to worry you forgot how to smile.”

“Smiling isn’t part of the job description.”

Jackson snorts, downs his whiskey, and then pours more. “Drink!”

“Getting drunk is also not part of my job description,” Derek tells him. He still takes a long pull of the whiskey. He tells himself he’ll just finish this glass and that’ll be the end of it. He’ll make sure Jackson gets to bed and everything will go back to normal tomorrow. 

Except Jackson keeps drinking and keeps making sure Derek’s glass is never empty. Derek’s not drunk. He knows how to hold his liquor, and he definitely has not had anywhere near the amount Jackson has. It’s when Jackson gets up, saying he needs to find another bottle and almost falls over, that Derek knows it’s time to put a stop to this.

He puts his glass down and gets to his feet. Jackson is examining the bottles in the liquor cabinet when Derek approaches. “Come to help me pick something out?”

“No,” Derek says, putting a hand on Jackson’s arm and turning him away from the cabinet and towards the hall. “It’s time for bed.”

Jackson pouts, “Not tired.”

“You’re drunk,” Derek says. “And if you drink anymore you probably won’t want to get up in the morning.”

“It’s fine,” Jackson says, leaning into him. “We can sleep in.”

Derek doesn’t comment. He focuses on getting Jackson into his room and seated on the edge of the bed. “We need to find you some…”

He doesn’t get to finish his sentence before Jackson is yanking off his shirt. His hands move to the button of his pants and Derek turns away. 

“I sleep nude,” Jackson tells him. “You could join me.”

Derek closes his eyes and counts to ten. Jackson’s drunk. He doesn’t know what he’s saying. Derek just needs to make sure he’s okay and then leave.

“You’re drunk,” Derek reminds him.

“I’m not that drunk,” Jackson mumbles. There’s rustling from the bed, and Derek forces himself not to turn around. After a few long seconds Jackson speaks again. “You can turn around now, Der.”

_Der_. Jackson’s taken to calling him that more and more lately, despite how many halfhearted attempts Derek had made to put a stop to it.

“Aren’t you going to tuck me in?” Jackson asks him. 

Derek really shouldn’t. He should tell him to go to sleep and then walk away. But instead he steps closer to the bed and makes sure the blankets are pulled up. “There. You’re good. Now…”

“One more thing,” Jackson says. He leans up and before Derek has a chance to register what he’s planning, he’s kissing him. Derek stands there frozen as Jackson kisses him. It’s off center and messy, but it’s still a kiss. It’s only when Jackson runs his tongue along his bottom lip that Derek jerks back, the world coming back into sharp focus. Jackson doesn’t seem to notice Derek’s panic. He sinks back into his pillows with a sigh.

“I love you,” Jackson whispers. He closes his eyes with a smile, and Derek can only stand there, staring down at him.

Finally, Derek gets his legs to move and he flees the room. The penthouse suddenly feels too small. Derek’s all too aware of Jackson’s presence down the hall as he paces the floor of his own room. He’s been doing so well about keeping himself in check. About not letting his feelings for Jackson cloud his judgment and affect the way he does his job. But now? Now all he can think about is Jackson’s lips on his, and the desire running through him for more. He can’t do his job like this. He can’t trust himself to be clear headed about keeping Jackson out of danger knowing how he feels about him.

So Derek quits. He packs his bags and he leaves in the middle of the night, after making sure someone could come in to replace him. He doesn’t tell Jackson. He knows he’ll try and talk him out of it, and Derek would find it hard not to give in. But he knows he can’t keep working for him. Not when he knows how he feels. 

Mr. Whittemore looks disappointed when Derek tells him, but he lets him go. His “I should have known this would happen sooner or later. That boy drives all of them away,” hits Derek with a wave of guilt. This isn’t Jackson’s fault. It’s his. He’s the one that went and fell in love. Sure, Jackson kissed him. But he’d been drunk and Derek had let things go too far. He’s the one in the wrong here.

Derek takes some time off after that. He has enough money saved up to be able to afford it. And he needs the break to help get his head on straight. And no matter what Laura might say he is not moping or pining. 

Sure, he might buy every magazine he sees with Jackson on the cover, or keep up to date on news reports about him. But part of him just needs to know he’s safe. That he didn’t make a mistake leaving him. 

For a while, he lets himself believe that’s true.

Until a month after he quit he gets a call from Mr. Whittemore. “I know you’re not working for us anymore, Derek. But you’re the only one I trust to do this.”

“What’s going on?” Derek says, immediately on the alert at the worry in his voice.

“Jackson’s been kidnapped.”

And of course, _of course_ Jackson would find a way to get into trouble without him. He gets the details from Mr. Whittemore on his way to Jackson’s penthouse. His first step is going to be searching it, looking for any clues about what led up to Jackson being taken.

Turns out he slipped his newest bodyguard while out at a club last night. They’d found his cell phone behind a dumpster, along with his wallet. Strange. If this was about money, surely they wouldn’t have left all Jackson’s cash and credit cards. 

“What do you think the motive is?” Derek asks, turning to look at Stiles. He’s not surprised Mr. Whittemore had called him in on the case. He’s one of the best detectives Derek knows. Not that he knows many detectives, but still. “It’s not money.”

“No it’s definitely not about the cash,” Stiles says. “With the wallet left behind and no one reaching out for ransom.”

“Do you think Jackson pissed someone off?”

Stiles snorts, “It’s Jackson. Who hasn’t he pissed off?”

“Fair point,” Derek sighs and runs a hand down his face. “Nothing looks out of place here. It looks the same as the last time I was here.”

“Right, because you lived here,” Stiles says. “Why did you quit, by the way? Jackson too much of an ass?”

“No he was…” Derek stops, his attention falling on a picture on Jackson’s nightstand. It’s new. He hasn’t seen it before, but he remembers taking it. It’s of him and Jackson at the beach. One of the only times he convinced Derek to get out of his suit and actually join him. It had also been his day off. 

He didn’t usually hang out with Jackson on his days off. At least not at first. But this was one of the few days he had. And maybe that’s when the boundaries really started to slip. When Derek actually let himself relax for a few hours and have fun. He’d still been on alert, but he’d also trusted Chris to keep an eye on things.

Jackson had insisted on taking a picture to document the day. He’d poked Derek’s sides enough that Derek couldn’t help but laugh. That’s what’s captured here. Both of them smiling up at the camera. He runs his finger across the picture and sighs. “I’m going to find you.”

“Ahh so it wasn’t because he was an ass,” Stiles says. There’s something in his eyes that looks like pity. Pity Derek doesn’t want or need.

“I had my reasons,” Derek tells him. “Reasons that don’t matter right now. All that matters is finding Jackson.”

“Well I just got a call from Danny. He picked up Jackson on the surveillance outside the club. He was with someone. He sent me the picture. We’re just trying to figure out who she is.”

Derek takes the phone from Stiles and his stomach drops at the sight. Jackson’s leaning against someone. Someone all too familiar. She’s looking right up into the security camera and smiling.

“It’s like she wanted to be seen,” Stiles says. “Which is weird, right?”

“Stiles,” Derek says, trying to fight down the panic building in him. “Remember when I told you about Kate?”

“Yeah, your crazy ex who tried to kill you and your family. What about her?”

“That’s Kate.”

Stiles’ eyes widen, “Oh shit.”

“Yeah.”

He takes his phone back from Derek and dials a number. He walks away to talk to someone and Derek lets him. His mind is too busy racing, trying to figure out what Kate wants with Jackson.

“We have a location,” Stiles says. “But maybe you should sit this out, Derek. If Kate’s there…”

“I’m coming,” Derek says, tone leaving no room for argument. “She has him because of me. I have to make sure he’s safe. It’s… I owe him that much.”

Stiles nods and squeezes his arm. “Let’s go then.”

* * *

They find Jackson and Kate at one of Kate’s family's abandoned factories thanks to Chris. As soon as he heard what his sister had done he’d informed them that she’d been asking questions about the place as soon as she got into town a week ago. 

He lets the cops handle Kate. They surround her with guns raised, and Derek runs to Jackson. He’s tied up to a chair in the middle of the room, looking beaten and bloody but alive. Derek kneels in front of him, working on the ropes binding his wrists with shaking hands. 

“Der,” Jackson whispers, his voice hoarse. “I knew you’d find me.”

“Of course I did,” Derek says. “I’ll never stop making sure you're safe, Jackson.”

“It’s not your job anymore though,” Jackson mutters.

“It doesn’t have to be,” Derek says, finally freeing his hands and helping him to his feet. “I’m just sorry this happened. Kate she…”

“I know who she is,” Jackson says. “She was in your file. And… well she had no problems going on and on about what she tried to do to you and your family. No offense, but you have horrible taste in women.”

“Yeah I know,” Derek says. “I’m just sorry she dragged you into this.”

“It’s not your fault she’s a psycho,” Jackson tells him.

“You’re okay?” Derek says, gingerly touching the cut on Jackson’s face. “Do you need to go to the hospital?”

“No, I’m good,” Jackson says. “A little shaken. But what I really want is a shower and my med.”

“The cops might want to talk to you,” Derek tells him. “But I can see if I can get Stiles to save it for tomorrow.”

“Please, the last thing I want is to talk to Stilinski.”

“Hey,” Stiles says, walking up next to them. “Just for that I should drag you in.”

“Please don’t,” Jackson says. “I’ve been through enough already.”

“Fine, you can go,” Stiles says. “But you are coming in tomorrow to give a statement. We need everything we have to make sure Kate gets put away.”

Jackson does a mock salute and Stiles rolls his eyes. “Your father is here, by the way.”

“I’ll leave you to it,” Derek tells him. He goes to walk away, but Jackson’s voice stops him.

“Wait, Der!”

Derek turns his head to look at him. “Yeah?”

“Will you… can you come over sometime?” Jackson asks him. “I think we need to talk.”

“Sure,” Derek says, doing his best to smile. “I’ll come by.”

He leaves Jackson with his father and walks over to where Stiles is waiting by his car. “You look like you could use a drink.”

He’s not wrong, but drinking had gotten Derek into this mess with Jackson. He needs to keep a clear head and think. Jackson wants to talk and it’s no doubt about what happened between them and Derek quitting. 

He owes Jackson that much. He knows that. Especially after Kate went after him. No doubt because of Derek. The least he can do is give him some explanation. Which he will. He’s going to tell Jackson the truth when he sees him.

But that doesn’t mean he’s rushing over to his penthouse. It takes him a week before he finally works up the nerve to go, and that’s only after Stiles calls him and tells him if he doesn’t talk to Jackson he’s going to come over and drag him to Jackson’s himself.

It feels strange knocking on the door to Jackson’s penthouse when in the past he would have walked right in. He lost that right though when he took off in the middle of the night. Jackson raises an eyebrow when he sees him standing at the door. 

“And here I thought you were avoiding me.”

“Sorry,” Derek says, following him inside. “I meant to come sooner, but I’ve been busy.”

Jackson snorts, “Please. Stiles told me you’ve been spending your days watching Netflix.”

“Fine,” Derek says, leaning against the counter. “I’ve been thinking about what I wanted to say.”

“And did you come to any conclusions?”

“Some,” Derek says. “I know I owe you the truth.”

Jackson nods, “You do.”

“It’s just…”

"Do you really still hate me that much?" Jackson asks him. 

"What?"

"That's why you quit, right? Because you still hate me?"

"I never hated you Jackson," Derek tells him. "You drove me crazy, but I never hated you."

Jackson steps closer, and Derek fights the urge to move back. "Then why quit?"

"Because I couldn't be professional around you," Derek admits. "Not when I..."

"When you what?"

And this is it. The moment of truth. Once he says these words there’s no going back. "When I love you."

"So just to be clear," Jackson says. "You didn't quit because you hate me."

"No."

"You quit because you're in love with me?"

"That's what I just said."

Jackson grins and runs his fingers over Derek's tie. "Just wanted to make sure we're on the same page."

His fingers curl around Derek's tie and he pulls him in, kissing him deeply. 

Derek pulls back, panting against his lips. "We shouldn't be doing this."

"And why the hell not?"

"It's not professional."

"The way I see it, if there's anyone that's going to keep me safe, it's the man that loves me."

Derek sighs, "Jackson..."

"And for the record? I love you too," Jackson says, smiling up at him. "I trust you with my life, Derek. More than I trust any of those other assholes my parents brought in. But..."

"What?"

"If you don't want to be my bodyguard anymore, fine. But I still want you here. Unless you really don't want to be then…"

Derek kisses him, slow and lingering, until Jackson's mumbling stops and he sinks into the kiss. Derek pulls back enough to look at him. "I'll stay."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," Derek smiles and taps his cheek. "Someone has to keep you out of trouble."

“You’ve always been good at that,” Jackson says. “But you know what I think?”

“What?”

“I think it’s time you let loose a bit,” Jackson says. He tugs at Derek’s tie and starts leading him down the hall to his bedroom. “What do you say?”

Derek’s only answer is to kiss him. Jackson smiles against his lips, his fingers working on the buttons of Derek’s shirt as Derek kicks the door closed behind them. He’s spent too much time thinking and agonizing over this and trying to do the right thing. Now he just lets himself feel, to live in the moment with Jackson. Everything else could wait.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Kudos/comments make my day 💜  
> You can find me [here on tumblr](http://tabbytabbytabby.tumblr.com/)


End file.
